1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device used by medical and rescue personnel for rapidly immobilizing and securing an injured person to a stretcher, cot, backboard or similar apparatus, by means of an adjustable strap that "clips" to the edges or side rails of the particular stretcher apparatus.
2. Description of Prior Art
The restraint straps currently in use generally fall into two categories. In the first category are straps that are passed beneath the stretcher and completely encircle the patient and the stretcher. These straps are either left in place on the stretcer when not in use or they are stored separately until needed. If they are left in place, they must be released or loosened before placing a patient on the stretcher. The loose ends often become entangled while the stretcher is being positioned under the patient and the strap ends frequently become lodged under the stretcher after the patient is in place. Straps left attached to stretchers and backboards stored in narrow slots or compartments on rescue vehicles tend to snag on interior projections; and because overall board width (with straps and accompanying buckles) is increased, usable space for additional stretchers and backboards is reduced. If the straps are removed from stretchers and stored separately, they are not only bulky and time consuming to unwrap, they also must be re-routed under the stretcher or backboard before the patient is placed on it.
In the second category are straps that are semi-permanently attached to the edgess or side rails of the stretcher or backboard, rather than passing completely beneath and around it. These straps have many of the same entanglement problems as those in the first category, and they hamper safe effective immobilization because the straps can't be moved along the edge or side rail to accommodate the wide range of patient sizes and shapes. Also included in this category are makeshift or improvised straps such as cloth cravats that must be tied to the side rails or thru hand hold slots in the stretcher. These makeshift straps are not only limited by the availability of attachment points, they have no provision for quickly adjusting the length. They must be untied, readjusted and retied.
All of the previously mentioned types and methods of patient restraint have at least one major problem in common; they all cause unnecessary delay in immobilizing and securing injured persons when time is extremely important. My invention virtually eliminates the problems previously mentioned and dramatically reduces the time necessary to safely and effectively restrain injured persons to a stretcher.